Under Construction Journal Issue 6.1 UNDER CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL 6.1 | Page 68

have often stated. He believed that the human organism develops a mind through interaction with the
social environment (Mead. 1934). Thus then, the contingency of the mind is dependent upon the
interaction between the human organism and its social environment (Mead, 1934, p. 191). In other words,
without interaction between the human being and society, the “mind” itself doesn’t develop. This means,
therefore, without interaction with one’s environment we would not develop or be able to engage with
experiences that form one’s “personal identity”- meaning that without one’s social existence there is little
opportunity to experience what is needed to successfully develop one’s personal identity.
As John Locke described, our personal identity is a reflection of our consciousness, which is
created through experiences; and without any kind of social interaction, our experiences would be
immensely limited. Furthermore, developmental theories like Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of needs”
(Maslow 1943) demonstrates that we all have certain criteria we must obtain in order to even have a
chance at achieving “self-actualisation”. In other words, we need to have physiological means such as
food and water, safety, a sense of belonging, positive self-esteem before we even have a possibility at
being our best selves. For someone who experiences social prejudice due to their gender or because they
deviate from social norms, they would struggle with lack of acceptance, a limited sense of belonging or
security which causes negative experiences and emotions, which ultimately affects the construction of
their consciousness. The theory demonstrates how “the need for interpersonal relationships motivates
behaviour” (McLeod, 2018) as it shows the importance of “fitting in” and belonging within our
development. Without feeling as though we belong somewhere, or like we are accepted or appreciated
by others, we will never be able to achieve “self-actualisation” which is otherwise known as “the best
version of yourself” (McLeod, 2018). By not conforming to gender stereotypes or social expectation, we
face much higher risks of being rejected by society. In other words, regardless of our beliefs as to what
gender is or where it comes from, it has the potential to shape the life and identity of almost every
individual, in one way or another.
Although gender may not, technically, be an essential part of our personal identity, the influence
it has upon our lives is overwhelming. As Butler stated, gender remains in our lives from the moment of
social existence begins, and there is no existence which is not social (Butler, Gender Trouble 1990) this
highlights my key point. Gender – and whether or not we choose to adhere to it- affects our lives on a
social level, it affects the way people treat us, the opportunities we receive and even the way we perceive
ourselves. We live in what is described as a “Heterosexual Matrix” (Butler, Gender Trouble 1990, 35)
where anything that deviates from the social norm is deemed “unintelligible”. Therefore, by deviating
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